German far-right extremist arrested in Kos as part of wider operation

A 30-year-old German national wanted on an international arrest warrant was detained on the Dodecanese island of Kos early Thursday morning as part of a wider police operation in Germany to clamp down on suspected drug dealers and far-right extremists.

The suspect, who’s vacationing on the island, is said to be a member of a wider criminal network involved in drugs and arms dealing and money laundering, while also being a member of a neo-Nazi organization, Brotherhood Thuringia. 

He was arrested in a joint operation between Greek and German officers at his hotel shortly before 3 a.m. Greek media said the suspect attacked policemen who were trying to apprehend him and is expected to be additionally charged with resisting arrest.

In the wider raid conducted in Thuringia and other German states on Thursday, authorities arrested six people, and seized around 1.4 million euros, a significant amount of cash, a small amount of drugs and steroids, and several cell phones, according to a report in DW. Officers also seized three handguns and various objects with Nazi symbols. At least four of the suspects are believed to be members of far-right factions included in the Brotherhood Thuringia group.

Greek and German judicial authorities are expected to decide in the coming days on his extradition.